1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to a scrapping unit and an image forming apparatus having the same, and, more particularly, to a scrapping unit and an image forming apparatus having the same to improve a maintenance performance.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus is an apparatus to print an image on a printing medium, and is classified depending on a printing type into an inkjet type discharging an ink through a nozzle, an electrophotographic type printing with a toner through a series of processes which are charging, exposing, developing, transferring, fusing and cleaning, a thermal transfer type using a thermal head, etc.
An inkjet printer includes a printing head formed with the nozzle. The nozzle of an ink discharging surface of the printing head is blocked when the ink discharging surface is polluted by a foreign substance. Accordingly, a wiping operation that wipes the ink discharging surface with a wiper member is performed to prevent a nozzle from blocking and to remove a foreign substance attached to the ink discharging surface.
Also, after performing the wiping operation, the wiper member is stained with a scrapped ink, and a scrapping operation of wiping the scrapped ink remaining in the wiper member with a scrapped ink absorbing member is performed under a predetermined condition (for example, a uniform period, etc.).
However, if the scrapping operation is repeated for a long time, the scrap ink absorbing member is polluted. Accordingly, the scrap ink of the wiper member fails to be removed, and the wiper member may be further polluted by the polluted absorbing member.
Also, it is necessary to frequently replace the polluted scrapped ink absorbing member. As such, maintenance costs increases and maintenance efficiency decreases.
With an array-type printing head that extends in a widthwise direction of a printing medium that prints a line all at once, since the printing head is fixedly disposed inside a printer and it is difficult to replace the printing head, it is important to maintain the head through the wiping operation and the scrapping operation.